


If We Burn It Down and It Takes All Night

by friedegg_iminlove



Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26067025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friedegg_iminlove/pseuds/friedegg_iminlove
Summary: Post season 1 finale. April goes to see if Sterling's okay when she doesn't respond to any messages.
Relationships: Sterling Wesley / April Stevens
Comments: 41
Kudos: 564





	If We Burn It Down and It Takes All Night

April regrets it all the moment she walks through those doors. So much of her wants Sterling, consequences be darned. The rest of her wants Sterling too, but... not consequences be darned. She feels like she's being torn in two. She really truly wishes that she could be out to everyone except her parents - she thinks she could handle the looks and whispers from everyone as long as she had Sterling.

There's no way she can have her parents know, though. Especially not her dad. At best, he would make her transfer schools and never allow her to see Sterling. At worst... she's not sure, and doesn't want to find out. In the white Christian society of Atlanta, everyone knows everyone's business. If she was out at school, she'd have what? A few days? A week? Not very long, at any rate, before word made it to her parents, and then she could kiss any relationship with Sterling goodbye anyway.

Half an hour later, the thought of losing Sterling right now seems so much worse than anything her parents could possibly do to her. She types out a few messages and deletes them. She types a few more, and deleted those too. Finally, she types one and hits send, pushing her phone away and trying to push away her regret as well.

_I don't want you to go back to hating me. Please._

***

Sterling doesn't respond at all and it cuts. Maybe she already has started hating her again. To be honest, April wouldn't really blame her, not after how she had flirted with Luke right in front of her.

She leaves school on Saturday morning feeling heavy. Yesterday, she had been psyched for the lock-in. She couldn't wait to drag Sterling into an empty classroom during the scavenger hunt and run her fingers through her blonde hair. To kiss her on those soft, full lips. Heck, she was even willing to sleep next to her, ensuring everyone knew something was up with them. She wishes that was how things had gone down. She fiddles with her phone, staring at her last message and lack of response from Sterling. She texts her again.

_It's okay if you do though, I understand._

***

It's Sunday evening and April is a little worried. Earlier, in the morning, she knew she'd see Sterling at church and was hopeful that she could maybe drag her away for a quick conversation. Or maybe she could smile at her. Something. She could at least see her, and that would be enough. The Wesley pew had been empty though, and that was....odd. Concerning. She had sent Sterling a text to ask if everything was okay. No response. She sent another text a few hours later. No response again. She called, and it went straight to voicemail. Now, its evening, and April can't think straight so she hops in her car and heads to the Wesley house.

April sits in her car in the driveway for a few minutes. She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know why she's here or why she's so worked up about a few missed calls and texts. April shakes her hair out before tying it into a tight pony. This always helps her clear her head. She shakes her head, telling herself to get a grip, before exiting the car.

Mrs. Wesley opens the door, looking disheveled. April smoothes her perfectly pressed skirt. a nervous habit.

"Hi Mrs. Wesley, I'm here to see Sterling," she tries to keep the nerves from creeping into her voice.

"Oh, April, sweetie, hi," Mrs. Wesley looks a little confused, which makes sense because her and Sterling haven't really been on show-up-at-each-others'-houses terms in a really long time.

"Uhm, sweetie, I dont know if she's taking visitors right now."

"Please, Mrs. Wesley? She hasn't responded to my texts and I just really need to see her and know she's okay," panic slips into her voice even though she's trying so hard to keep it out.

"Oh, uhm, okay, April. Go on up," she looks more confused than before, but she steps aside and holds the door wide.

April utters a quick thank you as she hurries inside and up the stairs. Though she hasn't been in Sterling's room in 6 years, she knows which door is hers. She stands outside it, suddenly unsure. The brief wave of bravery that had emboldened her to drive to her house and beg her mother for entry was ebbing. She feels small, insecure, and worst of all, stupid. She came all this way though, so she hesitantly lifts her hand to knock.

"Come in."

April slips into the room. The first thing she notices is that its dark. Like dark-dark. No lights or lamps, curtains drawn. As her eyes are adjusting to the dim room, April also notices the disarray. She smiles a little at that - some things never change. She can make out Sterling sitting on the bed, comforter wrapped around her. Suddenly, Sterling is the one that seems small.

"Hey," April says quietly, still standing in the doorway.

"April?" The surprise in Sterling's voice is tangible. she drops her comforter and starts quickly combing her messy hair with her fingers. "I, uh, thought you were Blair, sorry."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No! No, uh, come in," she reaches over and turns on a lamp, plastering an obviously fake smile on her face.

April takes slow, cautious steps forward. She can see now that Sterling's eyes are puffy and red-rimmed.

"You never responded to my texts and you wouldn't take my calls and you weren't in church today and I know I shouldn't show up unannounced but I was worried and-" her rambling is cut off when Sterling wraps her arms around her.

"Thank you," Sterling whispers, her face buried in April's neck. April wraps her arms around the other girl, holding tight as she feels hot tears on her skin. She holds her as her body is wracked by sobs. Gently rubs circles on Sterling's back. Strokes blonde hair. She holds her until her tears slow and Sterling pulls back.

Wordlessly, Sterling pulls April over to her bed. Sterlings crawls onto the bed, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. April sits cautiously on the edge of the bed, still somehow feeling like she shouldn't be there.

"My phone's broken," Sterling says. glancing at April. "Well, actually, I don't know if it is. It got thrown out the window of a moving car, so it's pretty much gone either way. I'm sorry I didn't text you back."

April nods, "did Blair do it?"

"No. Uhm. It's kind of a long story, if you're up for it?"

April nods, reaching for Sterling's hand. She catches herself and retracts it, embarrassed. She shifts stiffly on the bed so she's in a slightly more comfortable position.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be."

***

"So let me get this straight - your mom's twin is your real mom? So your mom is your aunt? And you didn't know your aunt...mom existed until Friday?"

April looks to Sterling for confirmation. This is a lot of information and she's still trying to grasp it all. Sterling nods in affirmation. They've moved a lot closer together over the recounting of the events after the lock-in. They sit facing each other, cross-legged, knees touching. April wonders if she should move back a bit, but she can't help but love the feeling of Sterling being so close, so she doesn't.

"And she's crazy? Like... she kidnapped you?" April's voice is incredulous.

Another small nod. Unsure what to say, April reaches out to cup the other girl's face in her hand. She feels Sterling let herself melt into the touch.

"I'm so sorry, Sterl," the brunette says, barely a whisper. "That doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm so sorry."

Sterling's watery blue eyes lock on April's green. Sterling turns toward April's palm, still on her cheek, and presses a kiss there. April pulls Sterling in for what was meant to be a hug, but mostly ends up with Sterling on top of her. Shifting to get her legs out from under her, April secures her arms around the broken girl.

"What time is it? Do you have to get home?" Sterling queries, sounding disappointed.

"I told my parents I was staying at Hannah B's tonight to work on a project. I can stay as long as you want, or I can go, if you'd like?"

"Please stay."

Instead of responding, April presses a kiss to Sterling's hair. She hopes that Sterling can understand everything she's having difficulty saying. That she's here for her, no matter what. That she cares so deeply for her. That she wants her. That she opened up a part of herself that she can't shut down now.

"You know, I had been really looking forward to sleeping side by side," April says.

Wordlessly, Sterling reaches over to the lamp and clicks off the light.

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all... I LOVE them


End file.
